What's Enforced?
All Manitoba orders for support payments are automatically filed with the Maintenance Enforcement Program (MEP) and dealt with by the director and an enforcement officer working under the director. The support recipient must provide the director with completed registration documents before the Maintenance Enforcement Program will begin enforcing their order.
Is it possible to opt-out of the Program?
A support recipient may partially or fully opt out of enforcement. If a partial opt out is chosen, MEP will continue to enforce the arrears or ongoing support based upon the recipient’s request. If a full opt out is requested, MEP will close the recipient’s portion of the file. This can be done by submitting a written confirmation, with a signature, PIN or other identifying information, or completing a Partial Opt Out of Enforcement form, or an Enforcement Opt Out form, which are available at the Maintenance Enforcement Program’s offices, or on the Forms webpage.
Is it possible to re-enroll in the Program?
A recipient who has opted out of the Maintenance Enforcement Program may re-enroll by completing registration package including information about the amount of support owing under the order or agreement (arrears of support). Please see MEP’s How to Register webpage for the registration package and further information.
Support payments that have not been paid may be enforced by MEP if claimed by a recipient. Additionally, support that was ended due to a Child Support Enforcement Eligibility Review may be reinstated, please see MEP’s Child Support Enforcement Eligibility webpage.
Can support agreements be enforced by the Program?
Written support agreements made in Manitoba can be enforced through the Maintenance Enforcement Program in the same way as court orders, as long as the parties agree in writing that payments will be made through MEP and must also be suitable for enforcement. For example, the agreement must be worded clearly enough so MEP can tell precisely how much support is owed. An original notarized copy of the agreement and a completed Statutory Declaration – Separation Agreement form are required. MEP staff can witness the statutory declarations for registration free of charge. More information and the required forms please visit MEP’s How to Register webpage.
Can family arbitration awards be enforced by the Program?
Family arbitration awards that include child support or spousal support, including common-law partner support under The Family Maintenance Act (now repealed) and comply with the requirements in The Arbitration Act may also be enforced by the Program if the award is registered with the court.
Can support orders and agreements made outside Manitoba be enforced by the Program?
Support orders and some agreements from other parts of Canada can be registered in Manitoba under The Inter-jurisdictional Support Orders Act. Once this occurs, MEP enforces payments in the same way as if they had been ordered by a Manitoba court. Similarly, support orders and some agreements from a number of foreign countries can also be registered and enforced in Manitoba, as long as the country is one with which Manitoba has made maintenance enforcement arrangements (a reciprocating jurisdiction).
To find out whether support orders from a particular country can be enforced in Manitoba, contact the Family Law Section, Legal Services Branch, Manitoba Justice at ISOQuestions@gov.mb.ca or 204-945-0268 in Winnipeg; toll free 1-800-282-8069 (Ext. 0268).